It still cracks us up when we are asked to be a part of a TV segment or newspaper article. We started couponing because of our own families financial distress – we never dreamed it would be a tool that God would use to give hope to so many people.

Two Area Coupon Queens Reign Over Grocery Stores

Sunday March 14th Edition of TheChattanooga Times Free Press or HERE
Watch the Video Enormous Savings through Coupons HERE

TIME 2 $AVE – We’ll be a part of ChattaMOMS.com!!
We are so excited to be a part of a group of moms, just like us, who are looking to help their families in any way that they can. Thank all of you for your continued support and encouragment!!

Starting Wednesday – see the Life [taste] section for questions and answers from TIME 2 $ave coupon-clipping experts Kasey Trenum and Kelly Thompson. Also check out Chattamoms.com for a growing archive of information on coupon clipping tips and a link to the Time2Save Web site.

I attended your workshop on Saturday at Westside Baptist in Warner Robins.Here’s one of the deals I was able to get at Walgreens: Buy 4 Dayquil orNyquil @ $5.00 each. Use the $2.00 coupon off on each from Telegraph 1/17,making them $3.00 each. Then Walgreens prints you a $10.00 coupon on thepurchase. After, the first purchase they are practically free. I haveattached photos of my purchases! Dawn B.

~~~~Okay Gals, you middle Ga folks mean business!!~~~~~

Thanks for sending in your testimonial and pics. A week ago that would have cost you at least $100.00!! That is an amazing feat to tackle Walgreen’s like that. You Go Girl!!

Thanks to all of you for your patience last week. For those of you who did not attend the workshop, Kelly was planning on teaching. She was already in Macon, GA and had set everything up on Friday ready for the next morning. THEN……. she was either hit by a virus or food poisoning. She called me around 3:50 am to tell me that she had been up all night vomiting. So I jumped up, got dressed as fast as I could and drove down to Warner Robbins which is about a 3 1/2 – 4 hour dirve. I arrived at 9:10am with about 100 ladies waiting for me. Thanks again for everyones patience, I enjoyed spending the day with you and am so excited to hear from each one of you how much are saving!! (Kasey)

This is a pic of the groceries I just bought at Publix after attending your class last Saturday.

Total cost: $ 93.68

Coupon/Store Savings $48.52

Transfered Rx received gift card for: $25.00

Cash paid: $20.16

Total Saved: $73.52

Percentage Saved: 81.5%

Thank you!!!Trasee D.

recieved via email 1/20/2010

WOW!! It has only been FOUR days since the workshop and look at how much Trasee saved!! Thanks for emailing us your pics and savings! You guys are the best advertising we could ever have! Thank you for supporting us, attending our workshops, and all of your kind words of encouragement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A word to those in desperate need of hope……

God is faithful, no matter where you are financially, there is HOPE! We both have testimonies of God’s goodness and faithfulness to us during extreme financial pressure. Your hope will go far beyond cutting your grocery bill in half, which in itself is an incredible testimony. This journey can take you to a place of radical giving out of your abundance.

Ephesians 3:20 (New King James Version)

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think,

So you’ve never been to a workshop… you may already have the couponing thing down. Why would you want to go to a workshop? The first reason that comes to my head is – THEY’RE FUN!!! We love bringing our stories of shopping, couponing, life and living to share with all of you – did I mention that the fun part is doing all these things with 5 kids ages 6 and under. Isn’t life grand?! Another reason for attending a workshop is to learn the latest on couponing, truly understanding the different ways coupons can be used together for more savings, getting on the right page for store policies…whoops! That was more than one reason.

Putting all that aside, we want you to come because we want to meet YOU. You’re the heart of what we do and why we do it. We completely understand that no one wakes up and says “Yea! I can’t wait to cut out some coupons today!” If you do think that, please don’t tell the rest of us :) What we do say is how much we love hearing your story, seeing your triumph through struggles, being near to cry over your grief and rejoicing in your successes.

Here are the class details, including our schedule.Here’s how you can register as a new participant. Here’s how you can attend again for FREE!

Thanks to everyone who entered our Christmas Countdown Workshop Giveaway! It was so much fun to read all your comments (and emails) and get a glimpse into how your families celebrate this beautiful Holiday! We chose 5 random winners from amongst you, here are the results, along with the response they left to the daily question (Please email us your mailing address and we’ll send those out soon!):

1) Amy W.

“My family always had an artificial tree when I was growing up, but when I got married my husband insisted on a real tree. We went the day before Thanksgiving to a local tree farm and I watched my husband agonize over the perfect tree. We finally picked one out, brought it home, and it didn’t fit! He had to cut part of the tree to get it into our living room. It is now our tradition to go each year the day before Thanksgiving to the tree farm to get our tree. (I took until year 3 until we finally picked a tree that would fit in the house without trimming it first LOL). Now we have a little girl to share this tradition with us. I love this tradition that started our first year together and I look forward to visiting the Christmas tree farm every year.”

We keep Jesus the focus of the family at Christmas but placing the Nativity in a prominent place, reading the Christmas story and attending church services. We still have fun and games with Santa but we all know Jesus is the reason for the season and is our Christmas Miracle.

4) Rachel

The gift baskets full of food that I know my family likes. All purchased with coupons, of course

5) The Dillards

We decided a few years ago to build memories with our *Christmas Monies* We now take a trip with our children, 18, 14 and 5. One year, we did Chicago. Last year, NYC, Philly and DC in a whirlwind of 10 days. Even our youngest who was only three while we were in Chicago remembers certain things about our trip. We have had a pretty tragic and financially tolling year. We are planning on a couple of day trips this year. Our Christmas Trip is something we look forward to each year and our kids will remember them long after the wrapping paper and bows are gone.

Lastly, this is an email we got from an anonymous reader, and although she wasn’t one of those randomly drawn for the Gift Certificate (Sorry!) I hope she doesn’t mind me sharing her Christmas giving idea, we thought it was really cool!

“We haven’t done this every year – so I don’t know if you can call it a tradition…but we did it at least different families over the years and my daughter adapted it and did it for her college roommate.The tradition is one we called the “Twelve Days of Christmas”We left a card on the doorstep of our “target” that said“On the first day of Christmas a true friend gave to me a turkey for Christmas dinner”Our gifts were spin offs of the song and after the turkey we gave:

The people who received these gifts never knew where they came from. We chose families that were going through a hard time either economically, spiritually or emotionally. The back of each card said this gift was given to you as an expression of Jesus’ love. The final card said “If you want to repay this kindness: when you are able, surprise someone else with an unexpected gift”We left gifts at their homes when they weren’t there. We solicited the help of people we could trust to keep our secret so that sometimes we would be at work and the recipient would receive their gift. (The first year our UPS man helped us for free because he loved what we were doing :-) We heard from different means of how special it was to most of these people. Once I was at a party and one of our former targets said “One year someone gave us….” and talked about how neat it was and how their family was going to do that someday. This was literally years after we had gifted them.My daughter – as a poor college student – adapted this down so most gifts cost her less than $2.“A product from a pear tree” – a pearchocolate turtles, french bread….French horns (ornaments that came 6 in a package), etc. Her ‘roomie’ knew it was from her but still looked forward each day to what her ‘surprise’ would be.I just wanted to share this because it brightened the holiday for everyone. It was fun to do and we did it when we had expendable income two times and two times when we did not have as much…for those the quilt (the most expensive item at $50) was replaced with a less expensive item.) With some creative thinking and great couponing this could be done inexpensively.

Thanks to all of you who have emailed us what you are thankful for today. We will continue to update all day and tomorrow as we receive your emails. Don’t forget you could win a gift certificate for FREE couponing workshops. Click HERE for details.

“This year I’m thankful for a child who is about 80% potty-trained! Many of you know this has been our challenge this year. To now have only one child in diapers has cut my diaper bill tremendously and who wouldn’t be thankful for that?!

On a serious note, I’m reminded of my favorite verse. It is from Isaiah 49:15 & 16 – ‘I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.’ How can the God of the heavens and earth remember me? I don’t understand it. But being as real as I can, there are times that I struggle with the fear He has forgotten me…forgotten a promise…forgotten this problem…forgotten to love. But this verse brings it back home when I allow His perfect love to drive out my fears. Even going back to the first part of verse 15…’can a mother forget her nursing child?’ I love this picture of God’s love. While He is often referred to as a loving Father, Abba Father…in this verse He chooses to relate His love, tenderness and fondness of His children to that of a mother’s love. Every mother and daughter out there knows the specialness of that bond. On this day of expressing our Thanks…I’m thankful I’m remembered…and loved.”

Kelly T.(Time 2 $ave)

For those of you who have heard my testimony you’ll understand my Thanksgiving Thankful list. For those of you who don’t, I hope to one day be able to share with you. God spoke to me several years ago, that when he delivered me from the fire I would not smell like smoke. I had no idea then, how hot the fire was going to be or how long I would stay in it. Praise God that he has indeed delivered me out of the fire, and kept every promise he made despite a heart that did not want to trust. Even though the landscape of my life has changed dramatically and there are days when the wind blows so hard that sparks of fire try to nip at my feet, you have never changed.

I HAVE FOUND YOU FAITHFUL!!

Wow! I don’t even know where to start except Thank You Jesus!! Thank you for my husband, my children, my extended family and my friends. I am thankful that we only have one mortgage instead of three! I am thankful for my husbands job and for your hand of protection on my family. Thank you for shaking the things and wants of this world off of me and allowing me to see your eternal blessings.

Thank you for being sustaining me and hiding me under your wing during the most difficult trials in my life. You alone God have healed my broken heart, and you alone have binded up wounds that I thought would never heal. For the first time in years the darkness has finally broken and I see a new dawn on the horizon. I am so unworthy of the blessings that you have poured out on me this year. I have kicked, screamed and pitched fits because I was afraid to trust you. I have cried rivers of tears, and begged you to level the dark valleys in my life because I thought it was too hard Thank you for not listening to my human “wisdom.” You knew the blessings on the other side,and loved me enough to carry me through the darkness instead of delivering me from it. Thank you God, for taking me places I didn’t think I was capable of going, for enduring hardships I thought were impossible, and for healing wounds I thought were uncurable. Kasey (Time 2 $ave)

“For those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:3

This year, I am thankful for all the blessings God has heaped upon me. Most of all though, my family.

My husband Matthew, and my sweet wild boys. The new friends I’ve made this year, and the old friends who keep me grounded.I am thankful that Matt still has a job when so many are struggling with unemployment. I am thankful for the new opportunities I’ve been given this year to contribute to our fincances.I am thankful that we are healthy, happy, and have enough love surrounding us to cover all the little things that aren’t perfect right now.

Happy Thanksgiving! Jaime M. (Time 2 $ave)

What a great Thanksgiving morning….hanging out with my little family until we head out for Thanksgiving lunch at my Mom’s! I am very thankful for a wonderful family, healthy kids, all provisions being met by God, my nephew’s safe return from Iraq, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Have a great Thanksgiving!!!—-CRYSTAL

This year I am most thankful for the following:

My mother. Someday (“when I grow up”) I hope to be just like her!

My husband, who is my rock and very best friend…plus the very large, extended family that I became a part of when I married him. Our first house (which we purchased in May of this year) that I am slowly turning into a cozy nest :) A job (stressful as it may be) that allows me to pay the mortgage on our cozy little nest.

A second job (that is not nearly as stressful as the first!) at our church that allows me to serve the Lord through music but also provides for our family. When you stop to examine life’s blessings there are a lot of simple ones that mean SO much! Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for God and my wonderful family. I am thankful that I have a job. I am thankful that even though the economy is bad and times are tough, the Thanksgiving and Christmas spirit is alive and well and has nothing to do with how much we spend on presents. People are remembering that the important things in life have nothing to do with fancy things, and that is a blessing. I am thankful that we have food on the table and a roof over our heads, and I am thankful for the wonderful people at Time2Save who are helping me save money like never before. Grocery shopping is fun again!

Amy W. Bryant, AL

I am so very thankful for Jesus’ unconditional love. Unconditional love is such a foreign & quite honestly, outdated notion in our society. Some of us who applaud ourselves for showing what we think is unconditional love still fall very short of the example our Lord & Savior sets. I fall short daily w/family, friends & even myself. However, I am so thankful that He loves me no matter what!!

I am thankful for all the opportunities that God puts in front of me everyday. In my job I get to help people and be a positive influence for them. He has challenged me to grow and improve my life and my families’ life thru couponing. I am thankful that my mother has pulled thru her surgery and is recovering at Siskin. I’m thankful for being able to spend extra time taking care of her and giving back a little of what she has always given me. I am thankful for my family,my job, my home, my friends, my health, and most of all my Lord.

I’m thankful for Time2Save! Cindy McK

I recently (as in 3 weeks ago) moved to Tennessee from Indiana. I am so thankful that “home” is defined by my family and not by the U.S. state I am living in. I am homesick from time to time, but my wonderful husband and kids keep me going…as does my faith in the Lord. Psalm 100.

Michelle

Spent the day serving people without a home or family to share this special day with. I served drinks and gave hugs all morning. Next year I am hoping to pass on a few extra’s I get all through the year. One small gift can change a person’s whole day. Blessing come in all sizes.

Sabrina Wikle

Salvation Army Volunteer

I most thankful for having people to support me in what God is telling me to do and for their faithfulness to stay with me during difficult seasons in life. Not everyone you can call a friend. Even family will turn there backs on you but it is always great to have friends that are there for you.

Wendy P

My mother is 87 years old and has Alzheimers. I am thankful that God has given me the strength and guidance to take care of her. It is not always easy, but I am enjoying every minute I have with her.

Bless you,

Area

I am thankful for my God, my family, and my country. I have much to be thankful for even though my husband (who will be 62 in April) got laid off this week. I have been disabled since January 2003. Even though things are unstable for us right now, I know that my God will see us through. For that reason, I am very thankful that I can trust in my God to see me through whatever comes in the future.

Have a great day!Joy

This year I am most thankful for my family. My great husband and son make my life brighter than I ever imagined it could be. Also, I’m thankful for a job that allows me to not only provide for us but to help others when they need it most. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

Justine G.

I am so thanful for a sweet Jesus who still sits on the throne and answers prayers. My only son, only child is a member of the National Guard’s 278th. He was deployed with them about four years ago and was gone about 18 months. He and his wife had just had their first son he was about 4 months old. He missed so much of his son’s first. About 2 or 3 months ago he found out they were being deployed again. My heart sank! Before I worked and had distractions and a lot of friends to help me get through. I just could not imagine how I would ever make it again. Before I prayed that God would take care of him and protect him and end my prayer with, “Lord your will be done.” This time I had to have a very long talk with God and I tried to accept that it would be okay again and we would get through it but this time I prayed Lord I know it is probably selfish but if there is anyway for my son to stay home and no one be hurt or it cause any problem. I would be so grateful but your will be done. PRAISE GOD!!!!!! A few weeks into it while they were in Mississippi for their 3 week summer training. We found out that he would not be deployed. His time will expire before the deployment is over so he had the option of re-enlisting and going or staying home. In June his second son was born and would be just a little older than his first was when he left before. He and his wife talked about it and prayed about it and although the re-enlistment bonus would have been nice, THANK GOD, they decided it was not worth his life or the time he would miss with his family.

Writing is not my thing but I hope you can tell how thankful I am that my baby is not going back to Iraq or possibly going to Afghanistan.

The other thing I am thankful for is the rest of my family. Three years ago in December I had what was supposed to be a simple back surgery. I was supposed to only be off work for 4 to 6 weeks. A month after the first surgery I ended up back in the operating room. Something had gone wrong with the first surgery and they tried to fix it with the second. They did not succeed. I hear all the women saying what a good husband they have. Until you find out if they will wipe your bottom you don’t know what good is. I have the best husband ever. I also have the best 84 year old mother, two sisters and two brothers. My mother and sister’s were right there doing everything and trust me when I say everything for me while my husband worked. I stayed at my mother’s house, she could work circles around me before anything happened to my back, for several weeks so my husband could work. He work’s two full time job’s. They took care of me while I was there and after I came home they came and brought food and did house work. I am still not supposed to bend or twist or lift over 10 pounds. Do you know how much 10 pounds is? About the same as a gallon of milk. That’s not much so I am pretty worthless. Even after all this time they are all still here for me doing anything I need them too. Luckily I can at least take care of the paperwork now. LOL Oh, and my brother’s they are here for anything I ask of them too. I am thankful for finding your website. It has helped me so much to know how to combine the coupon’s and at least help save some money. I haven’t had the opportunity to come to one of the workshops yet. Whether I win or not I am coming to a workshop after the first of the year. You all are such a blessing. I can’t imagine how you have the time to do all you do and keep the website up. I hope you realize how appreciated you are.ThanksAnne

Anne ~ You are an inspiration to us all, thank you for sharing your heart and not being afraid to be real. As your sisters in Christ we wanted to remind you that you are priceless, not worthless. Your value isn’t measured by the strength of your hands, or the health of your body. Be encouraged and blessed!

Isaiah 49:16 (New International Version)See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.Luke 12:7 (New International Version)Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Isaiah 43Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

Zephaniah 3:17The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

As I’ve recently been reminded to do, I’m being thankful for all of the things that hasn’t happened. All of the accidents I wasn’t in, the sicknesses I didn’t have, the loss of job I didn’t experience. I want to always remember to be thankful for these and the other many blessings in my life. God has really been good to me when I truly didn’t deserve it.

GS

I’m so blessed to have a loving Christian family and great friends that all get together to enjoy a meal, share stories, and laughter each Thanksgiving Day. I’m so blessed by the hard work of the folks involved with this website, it has saved many families a lot of money this year by following your suggestions.

We are all so grateful. May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving Day.

Teresa R.

Chattanooga, TN

I am thankful I am alive. I was injured in a motorcycle wreck 3-6-06. I sustained some major injuries, but despite them all, God allowed me to continue to live. Despite my injuries, I am blessed with supportive friends and family, a loving husband, pets that love me, and just was blessed with a part-time job. Despite it all, I am blessed that God loves me and allows me to continue to live and spread his love & blessings.

Thanks,

Shelley Palmer

This year has been a difficult one for my family with the loss of my job and the birth of our third child. My husband has had to work 7 days a week at two different jobs while I have searched fruitlessly for another. The amazing blessing of all of this has been that we cherish the little time we have together each day and try to spend it doing things together. I have been able to spend more time with my 2 year old as well as volunteering at my 6 year old’s school, 2 things I was hard pressed to do while working. To top it off, I have a beautiful new baby boy to love and care for and whose birth has brought us closer as a family as we come together to all take care of him. I am thankful for my family and friends this time of year and that I am able to spend more time with them now. I believe everything happens for a reason and as I draw near to the one year mark of being unemployed, I see that perhaps this was God’s way of telling me to stop and take it all in and appreciate what I have as opposed to those things I may have wanted but did not need.

God Bless!

I am so very thankful for my Heavenly Father and the promises that He keeps to His children!! He has held me up through a very, very tough 2009 and has poured out blessings over and over on me. My life fell apart, or so it seemed, in the spring when my husband left me. Through Gods grace and my incredible family and church family, I walked through the tough times this trial has brought me and have seen Gods amazing hand at work over and over and over in every aspect of my life this year. It is only through His grace that I was able to “let go and let God” where my marriage was concerned, where my bills were concerned, where every aspect of life was concerned. I am continually amazed at and thankful for the work He is doing in my life. He has provided income every time it seemed that the bills wouldn’t get paid. He has provided words of comfort, encouragement, strength, peace, and wisdom at every turn through friends, family, His Word, my small group, my church, a song on the radio, a friends blog….so many very different ways He has provided!!

I am so very thankful for the blessings that couponing has afforded me, both for myself and for the people I’ve been able to bless with the coupon system. I am thankful for the money saved and the stocked pantry/freezer. I am forever thankful for the family that I have who has stood beside me and supported me in any way possible. I’m forever grateful for my friends who have stood by me in thick and thin. My church family is just incredibly awesome and I’m thankful for the chaotic events of 2008 that led to the birth of my church today! I am so thankful that God has a plan, and that he makes something good come from something we see as bad.

I am thankful for the little things in my life….a roof over my head, a well-running car, a job, good neighbors, food in my pantry, clothes on my back, friends, my dog, my cats, good health, fall weather, a good book to read, my front porch swing…and so much more!! ~~~Jess G in SC~~

I am thankful for so many things! First and foremost for the saving grace of our Lord. Secondly, I am so thankful for the husband that God has given to me; he loves the Lord and leads me in that direction with him. He lost his job a year ago and through this lengthy trial, God has proven Himself over and over as to how He will and does provide and take care of us evrey day. So a year later I can say I am thankful for this situation becauseof the things we have learned through it; trusting God more, compassion, and that we don’t need the things we always thought we did are only a few. I am especially thankful for the many things I have learned through Time 2 Save and other couponing friends… we can buy groceries guilt free in a financially difficult time!! Thank you so much for all the wisdom you give to us each day!!

Michele, Dayton, TN

I am so thankful to the Lord for the families that he put both me and my husband into, who raised us in loving Christian homes and gave us great examples of what a marriage should be. I am so thankful for what wonderful grandparents they all are, playing with our little boys, and loving them so much. Not everyone has families they like to visit at the holidays. We just wish there was some way to visit both!

I am thankful for a God that loves and cares for me and my family just as He loves and cares for the little sparrow. I am especially thankful for the the good health that He has given to our son with an immune deficiency disease. He has protected him from the H1N1 virus and even common illnesses this year. I am also thankful for Him providing the expensive medication that our son needs to stay healthy. We could never pay for all of his medicine on our income. I’m thankful that the Lord directed me to the Time 2 $ave web site to show me how to make it possible for me to work only part time, thus allowing me to have more time to care for our special needs son.

If you didn’t know I existed until 2 seconds ago, that’s my fault… I’ve been meaning to write up a little introduction for some time now, but I always find something much more interesting to tell you about than me. I’ll make this short and sweet – so we’re not strangers anymore:

My name is Jamie Miles – I’m 29, have 4 boys (ages 3-9) and am married to a fantastic grizzly bear of a man named Matthew. (Mmwwwa!)

He drug me to Cleveland, TN from my Old Kentucky Home (Lousiville) after we were married, and we’ve been cozy here every since. I formerly wrote the blog ChattanoogaCheapskate, which I still keep up and running to remind folks about our Bi-Weekly Coupon Swap-Meets…

Nowadays, I work with Kasey and Kelly to help you save money and hold your hand a little as you go from “Newbie” to Seasoned Veteran of the coupon world. It’s nice to meet you, officially! Now that we’re Best Friends Forever- can I tempt you to go see a little news clip I was in Monday night about Holiday Shopping Tips? Yes??!YAY!!

Last week, News Channel 12′s Joe Legge (Frugal Joe) came by to get my take on Holiday Shopping Strategies. I told him that I don’t really have one – unless saving money all year, and stocking up when I find good deals counts as a strategy. He thought that was good enough – and included me in WDEF’s Holiday Shopping segment on Monday night!

Below is an article in The Herald-News. Debby attended a workshop in Cleveland at Wesley Memorial Church this past July. Then, she hosted a Time 2 $ave Workshop at her church, Dayton First Baptist, last month. Wow! Debby, you are awesome! Looking forward to coming back to your church March 6th 2010!

The coupon craze: Local women taking hints from ‘coupon queens,’ use clippings to save cash.

Coupon-clipper Debby McCuiston of Dayton shows off a long receipt and a counter full of goods that cost a fraction of their original prices. Thanks to numerous coupons, McCuiston has saved close to $1,000 since July.

Shoppers shouldn’t be so quick to toss those coupons in the trash; in the right hands, they could be as good as gold. Dedicated coupon clippers from Rhea County have already saved thousands, and Dayton local, Debbie McCuiston, is one of them.

“It’s just amazing,” said McCuiston. “A couple weeks ago I spent $250 [at the grocery store] but walked out having paid $47.”

McCuiston got started in huge coupon savings when she heard about a coupon workshop based in Cleveland, Tenn. The coupon workshops were the brainchild of two Tennessee stay-at-home moms who, like many in the area, were struggling to make ends meet in the economy.

After heavily researching coupons, deals, online savings and common store policies, the two women started saving such significant amounts that others started noticing. Interest in coupon clipping grew so great that after a small couponing class drew a crowd of 200 people, their business, Time 2 $ave, was born.

These two moms, nicknamed the “coupon queens,” now travel around the country teaching others the same strategies and techniques that have worked so well for their families. In the workshops, people learn how to find good coupons, whether in-store, directly from the manufacturer or an online resource, then how to wait for the sales and put them to good use.

Many area businesses, such as Spring City’s Piggly Wiggly and Dayton’s Bi-Lo and Fred’s, allow the “doubling” of coupons, where customers can use both the in-store coupon and the manufacturer’s coupon on the same item up to a certain amount.

“Just make sure to monitor the expiration dates on the coupons before bringing them to us,” said Bi-Lo manager Jane Draper. “If we take out-of-date coupons, the store loses money, and that loss will eventually lead to higher prices.”

Bi-Lo also offers its own online collection of printable coupons, available to anyone with a bonus card, said Draper. Some stores go so far as to accept coupons from any store:“Publix in Hixson is wonderful,” said McCuiston. “They take everybody’s coupons as long as they cover the same brand. A lot of times you pay pennies for things.”

The typical response from many people is that they don’t have the time to deal with coupons, but after the initial setup and figuring out a good filing system, it’s not that hard, said McCuiston. “It’s a ministry and a comfort to know I’m doing the best for my family,” she added. “I can send my kids [who live out of state] $100 worth of stuff that cost me less than $25.”

Avoiding the stingy, difficult stereotypes of coupon clippers takes some work as well, said McCuiston, who makes it a point to shop at less busy times and “stay nice.”“Some people [using coupons] are not considerate, but you’ve got to protect your testimony at all costs,” she said. “Don’t be demanding. They’re doing you a service by taking your coupons, and we’re doing them a service by [shopping with them].”

McCuiston hopes that more Rhea county vendors will become increasingly cooperative in their coupon policies.

“I would rather stay in Dayton and keep my money here,” she said.

For those interested, Dayton First Baptist Church will host one of the couponing workshops in March. Unused coupons can be dropped off at the church as well. More information can be found at www.time2saveworkshops.com or by calling Debbie McCuiston at 775-6517.Elisabeth Hollingsworth can be reached at elisabeth.hollingsworth@rheaheraldnews.com

Thank you Debbie, for stressing the importance of how we present ourselves to others. As we tell anyone who attends our workshops ~ we are all a light and a testimoney everywhere we go, don’t let it ruin your testimony.